Delaware 150th General Assembly (2019-2020) Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 9 D · 1 R cosponsors

SB 163 — AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A STRATEGIC REVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES AND PRESENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING A COMPREHENSIVE RESTRUCTURING THEREOF TO THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE.

Last action — Introduced and Assigned to Elections, Govt. & Community Affairs Committee in Senate

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 150th General Assembly (2019-2020). It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there are no live odds of enactment. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

The Department of Health and Human Services (“DHSS”) was established in 1970 by legislative enactment with a broad and crucial mandate: to supervise the health, wellbeing, and life of Delaware citizens. In the decades since, the population of Delaware has increased, and the needs of Delaware citizens have required increasingly complex and costly medical interventions, particularly for those most vulnerable among us, such as the elderly and those suffering from addiction. To serve this broad array of individual needs, DHSS has adapted to provide personalized and individualized services to citizens at a level of direct care. Additionally, the broad language of DHSS’ authorizing statute has required it to maintain focus on other policy initiatives, such as promoting public health and administering healthcare through Medicaid while maintaining compliance with state and Federal laws and regulations, which themselves have grown in complexity. Given the advancements in both individualized care and the policy landscape, the inevitable conclusion is that DHSS’ dual roles must be separated into two separate Departments with Cabinet-level representation. Doing so will ensure that Delawareans receive high-quality care on an individualized basis, and will recommit a separate agency to its important policy objectives, such as maximizing efficiency and reducing the cost associated with waste that arises when an agency’s functions become too manifold for the agency to be efficient and effective. This Bill establishes a committee of members from various state agencies, as well as the legislative and executive branches and individuals representing the healthcare industry and Delaware citizens. The strategic mission of this Committee is to implement a separation of DHSS’ current organizational structure into two separate cabinet-level Agencies. The Bill also establishes a timeline for action by the Committee that will encourage it to act quickly and with clear direction to maximize efficiency and reduce the costs associated with waste.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Introduced and Assigned to Elections, Govt. & Community Affairs Committee in Senate

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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2 sponsors · 19 co-sponsors · 41 not signed on

Sponsors (2)

Co-sponsors (19)

Not signed on (41)

41 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

healthcare health-insurance
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB 163 do?
The Department of Health and Human Services (“DHSS”) was established in 1970 by legislative enactment with a broad and crucial mandate: to supervise the health, wellbeing, and life of Delaware citizens. In the decades since, the population of Delaware has increased, and the needs of Delaware citizens have required increasingly complex and costly medical interventions, particularly for those most vulnerable among us, such as the elderly and those suffering from addiction. To serve this broad array of individual needs, DHSS has adapted to provide personalized and individualized services to citizens at a level of direct care. Additionally, the broad language of DHSS’ authorizing statute has required it to maintain focus on other policy initiatives, such as promoting public health and administering healthcare through Medicaid while maintaining compliance with state and Federal laws and regulations, which themselves have grown in complexity. Given the advancements in both individualized care and the policy landscape, the inevitable conclusion is that DHSS’ dual roles must be separated into two separate Departments with Cabinet-level representation. Doing so will ensure that Delawareans receive high-quality care on an individualized basis, and will recommit a separate agency to its important policy objectives, such as maximizing efficiency and reducing the cost associated with waste that arises when an agency’s functions become too manifold for the agency to be efficient and effective. This Bill establishes a committee of members from various state agencies, as well as the legislative and executive branches and individuals representing the healthcare industry and Delaware citizens. The strategic mission of this Committee is to implement a separation of DHSS’ current organizational structure into two separate cabinet-level Agencies. The Bill also establishes a timeline for action by the Committee that will encourage it to act quickly and with clear direction to maximize efficiency and reduce the costs associated with waste.
Who sponsors SB 163?
SB 163 is sponsored by Stephanie L. Hansen (Democratic), Nicole Poore (Democratic), Laura V. Sturgeon (Democratic), John "Jack" Walsh (Democratic), Kimberly Williams (Democratic), Michael F. Smith (Republican), Melissa Minor-Brown (Democratic), Sean M. Lynn (Democratic), Kendra Johnson (Democratic), Trey Paradee (Democratic), Valerie Longhurst, Bruce C. Ennis, David B. McBride, Harris B. McDowell, Catherine Cloutier, Anthony Delcollo, Andria L. Bennett, Earl G. Jaques Jr., Quinton Johnson, John L. Mitchell, and Peter C. Schwartzkopf.
What is the current status of SB 163?
This bill died with 150th General Assembly (2019-2020). It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track SB 163?
Track SB 163 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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